Last Friday, we partied with models! 

Yeah, we got together with PartnerPage to reveal the Partner Success Maturity Model.

True to our mission, we partner up. We reached out to YOU, the partner ecosystem to get your input on what makes a partner program successful.

This framework will be the go-to framework for partner success in the future.

Here’s what we found...

Stage one: Discovery

Without a roadmap, you won’t know what to focus on next. At this stage, you’ve discovered why partner maturity models are so important.

Here’s a summary of what we found at this state of the discovery process:

• Technology partners: You’ve got your product and partner teams are committed to finding the level of effort and impact of integration decisions.
• Solutions partners: You’ve mobilized your success and partner teams start working together to uncover the impact of partner services. This is where you find out what drives outcomes after implementing products.

Stage two: Building

At this point, you need to start thinking about how you are going to be making money. You want to ask: What partner solutions will I implement to generate revenue?

Here’s what our coauthors said about the building phase:

• Technology partners: This is where the partner team begins operating as a program, establishing processes for target integrations, GTM requirements, and minimally viable public API endpoints.
• Solutions partners: Partner teams begin operating in sync, establishing processes for partner acquisition, partner activation, and partner advocacy.

Step three: Managing

At this stage, your data should be freely flowing between your partner orgs. You’ve got things off the ground and you’re getting the flywheel in motion.

Here’s a synopsis of what our contributors said:

• Technology partners: Your team has transitioned to an overlay partner program. You’re operating processes across product, marketing, sales, and success to drive joint customer adoption and value.
• Solutions partners: The partner team has transitioned to an overlay partner program operating across GTM. At this stage, you are delivering services to drive joint customer adoption and value.

Step four: Measuring

You won’t know if you’re improving if you don’t measure your success. You need defined metrics that you compare yourself to every week, every month, and every quarter.

Here’s what the partnership ecosystem had to say about metrics:

• Technology partners: All departments must track and invest in the partner program. You’ll want to create partner incentives based on anticipated returns and impact on business KPIs.
• Solutions partners: You’ve figured out the impact of service partners on NRR. KPIs are established cross-departmentally from the top down. OKRs are in place for CS teams to take action.

Step five: Optimizing

At this point, you’ve distilled your metrics; now, you’re ready to optimize for success. You’ve got customers, and want to drive win-win scenarios for all your partners.

• Technology partners: Create a feedback loop to focus additional efforts on the efficiency of integrations. Cross-departmental budgeting is within a comfortable range and you’ve got partner tiering is fully baked.
• Solutions partners: Partner feedback and customer engagement + satisfaction are in place. You’ve got partner tiering is fully implemented. Multiple certification tracks are established that are primarily self-serve.

Are you looking to learn more about The Partner Success Maturity Model?

Check out the rest of the content from our event last Friday with PartnerPage in the playlist below: